I had the pleasure Monday afternoon March 8th of making your acquaintance on Vanderbilt Avenue and 44th St. Again my name is Thomas Pappas. I live in Eastern Glendale (formerly known as Forest Hills Crest) and I’m very concerned about the condition of a railroad crossing at 88th St & 76th Avenue in Glendale (11385).

Formerly the old Montauk line, it is now used as a freight line for the Long Island Railroad. The crossing is in dire need of a facelift including: new lighting to better ensure pedestrian and vehicular safety; new raw iron fencing to restrict track access (see attachments) and low –lying plant material to hide the barren spots of open ground so as to deter people from throwing their refuse around like it’s a garbage dump.

Now I know, the MTA is under severe budget constraints. I watched your interview on NY1 News. However, there is no excuse for the dilapidated condition of this entire crossing for 100 yards in either direction east and west. It’s nothing short of a disgrace.

As I said in my short conversation with you, millions of dollars were spent on Atlas park and ultimately will be viewed as millions wasted if – in these unforgiving economic conditions – everything that could have been done wasn’t done to save the mall including improving one of the few vital access routes(88th St).

What is required here is a bit of vision. What you need to do is recapture a romantic piece of history as a way of enticing people to continue driving; you’re helping the shopper get along… get a little closer. Railroad crossings do that.

What the consumer sees now approaching the railroad crossing is apathy and disrepair and as you know all too well Mr. Chairman, no one takes their wallet out when that’s around….no one.